A wrongful-death lawsuit has been filed against Melissa and Jeffrey Phillips, the owners of the dog that killed a 2-year-old kid in Alabama in March when he was visiting a neighbor’s house.
Melissa Phillips was accused of being killed by a dangerous dog after turning herself in to the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Her spouse is charged as well.
According to a copy of the July 19 lawsuit, the child, Mark Allen Partain, was “attacked and bitten by the defendant’s dog” on March 1 in New Hope, Alabama. The defendant’s dog was described as “vicious and dangerous.” The case also alleges wrongful death. According to the parents, the Phillips family lets their dog “roam free.”
Jason and Kayla Partain, the boy’s parents, claim that the Phillips engaged in wanton and careless behavior in addition to failing to properly restrain their dog.
According to local CBS affiliate WHNT, when police got at the site of a complaint of a toddler being bitten at a residence on Christian Road in New Hope, they discovered the child had already passed already. The cause of death was determined by a coroner to be deadly bite wounds.
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WHNT revealed in March that the dog was a husky, despite the Partains’ complaint not naming the breed. According to Madison County Sheriff’s Office investigators, animal control adopted two dogs from a neighbor’s house because they might have been involved in the deadly attack.
There was also a third dog discovered close by, which is thought to be connected to the boy’s attack. The three dogs were put to death. Two months before to Partain’s demise, another incident involving one of the three dogs included biting occurred.
On Monday, it was not possible to immediately reach Melissa or Jeffrey Phillips for comment. Emily’s Law, which became operative in Alabama in 2018, allows dog owners to face consequences if their canines are deemed hazardous.
